Finger Sizes
To get the maximum pleasure out of wearing your favourite ring, it is important that it fits you correctly.
This may seem like stating the obvious, but we are continually astounded by two facts.
First, the average Briton wears their rings about two sizes too large,
our theory for this is that it's easier for shops to send customers out
with their ring slightly too large than it is to try to pinpoint the
size and risk having to resize it up. For obvious reasons, customers
are happier with a ring which is a size or two too large than one which
is even a half size too small.
It follows from the above that most people who think they know their finger size, don't.
Many people seem to worry that having a ring size adjusted is going to
be a major life threatening event. Either they are going to "lose some
gold" by having it sized down, or the shank will become thinner if they
have it sized up.
Having a ring adjusted to your correct finger size need not be a traumatic event.
Adding Gold or Stretching?
Another question we are frequently asked is about whether it is better to add gold to a ring or to stretch it.
Each case can be different. For a new wedding ring, it is usually
better to "tap" or stretch it up, whether it is being increased only
fractionally or a considerable number of sizes. This applies especially
if the ring has been "engineered" from a blank, rather than cast.
For a gem ring, it is usually better to add an extra piece of gold,
unless the size is being adjusted upward only slightly. In fact the
correct way to carry out a sizing is to add or remove gold to make a
finger size fractionally too small, and then make the final adjustment
by "tapping" up to the correct fit. The "tapping" is done by hammering.
Won't This Leave A Join?
Yes!
But not many people realise that most mass produced rings are made to a
standard finger size, and then cut and soldered to a variety of sizes.
Even some custom made rings are often made to a "stock" size, and then
adjusted later.
How Do I Get My Correct Size?
Most jewellers use a set of plain metal finger size rings. This is the
best way to measure your finger size. Cardboard or plastic devices are
not sufficiently accurate.
We believe that the best way to find your correct size is to start with
a size that slides easily onto the finger. Then progressively try
smaller sizes until you find one which will not go on. Your correct
size will be about half to one full size larger.
This assumes that the ring you wish to wear is about the same width as
the sizing ring, and also depends whether it is a plain solid hoop. If
it has a hollow head, you may find that you can wear a smaller size. In
general a wider ring may need to be slightly larger, and a narrow ring
may need to be slightly smaller. It also depends on your basic finger
shape.
The Three Basic Finger Shapes
At Chard, we have formed a theory that there are three basic finger shapes.
Expressed rather indelicately, these could be called fat, medium, and
thin, perhaps we should call them well-built, typical, and slim.
A typical or medium finger shape is one where the knuckle joint is
slightly larger than the fleshy part above it where the ring is worn.
In this case, the ring should be a close fit over the knuckle, but feel
comfortable to wear once it is in place. With a little luck, the ring
will not tend to slip around the finger, even in the case of large or
heavy rings. Owners of medium finger shapes are fortunate!
The owners of well-built fingers will find that the fleshy part of
their finger is larger than the knuckle joint. Perhaps we should call
these people "small-boned". In this case, obviously the ring will slide
over the knuckle easily, but there is a slight danger that the ring
could slip off. To avoid this, it is better if the ring fits slightly
more tightly on the flesh than for people with "medium" fingers. It may
be worth a short period of slight discomfort with a new ring to ensure
a snug fit ever after, as the flesh under the ring will usually adjust
slightly to the ring.
The people who often have the greatest problem with getting a perfect
ring fit, are those with slim fingers, where once the ring is squeezed
over the knuckle, it is too slack on the finger, and spins round. For
this problem, we have developed a "trick" which a number of other
jewellers also use. We adjust the finger size so that it is a few sizes
too large, we then add two "bars" across the inside back of the shank.
If the top of the ring is considered as 12 o'clock, then the bars are
added at about 4 and 8 o'clock. This hardly ever fails to work,
although it has to be done by trial and error, as there is no simple
scientific way to gauge the "correct" finger size. On average, we
expect to take two attempts to get this right.
I Want To Buy A Surprise Gift - What About Guessing The Size?
This is an extremely common question.
Our usual advice is to take the ring in its existing size, present it,
and then take or bring the lucky owner into a jeweller's to have their
finger measured properly, and the ring adjusted accurately. We advise
this for two reasons. In the knowledge that most guesses are wrong, and
also that, although adjusting the finger size does not normally harm
the ring, there is no point sizing it twice rather than once.
Leading Edge or Centre
Some jeweller's believe in measuring standard width rings by the
"leading edge", but broader rings by the measurement at the centre. We
believe this is inconsistent and illogical. We always specify our
finger sizes by "leading edge" rather than "middle". It is often
necessary to specify broad rings in a slightly larger finger size than
for thinner rings.
Can the Gold be Added Back?
If a ring is going down in size, occasionally people ask can the gold
that is removed be "added back". Without melting it down and remaking
the ring, this is not possible. The amount of gold "lost" is usually
very small, and in any case it is in the form of swarf, filings and
dust which may be contaminated by metal from other jobs, broken saw
blades etc. Re-using any form of scrap gold without refining is usually
inviting quality control problems.
What About Ordering a Ring By Mail Order?
What is the best policy about getting the correct finger size when ordering by mail or over the internet?
We believe it is worthwhile to visit a good local jeweller, and offer
to pay to have your finger size measured. If it costs a few pounds or
dollars, it can be worthwhile. You should now be in a position to order
the correct size by mail.
Alternatively, if the ring is made in a stock size (we aim to make our
stock rings two to three sizes bigger than average), order the ring in
the stock size, and have it sized locally. This should not cost an arm
and a leg, and will often be better than trying to guess the size
remotely, and sending the ring to and fro in the post.
Obviously, if the stock size happens to be a perfect fit, that would be
ideal, but following on from what we say above, if the ring is just
slightly tight, it should be possible to "tap" it up fractionally.
International Size Scales
We get asked about finger size conversions quite frequently, and we
have never seen a chart which lists British, European, Japanese, and
American systems side by side, so we created our own!
Unfortunately, the International Ring Sizes page of our website will
not format correctly as an eBay Guide, as we cannot use HTML tags to
format it neatly into a table. If we manage to find a work-around for
this problem, we will add a separate guide.
Was This Guide Useful?If
you found this guide interesting, informative or useful, please spare
few seconds of your time to vote for it by clicking on the "Yes" button
below, thanks.
Other GuidesYou may be interested in viewing our other guides:-
Buying Jewellery as an Investment
Sniping - Is it Good Strategy for Winning Auctions?
2 Two Pound Coins Queen with Necklace Rumour
No comments:
Post a Comment